Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is the inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye. Conjunctiva is a tissue that lines the eyelid and covers the white portion of the eyeball. This inflammation is more visible and so do the eyes appear a little pinkish or reddish.
The common causes of conjunctivitis are bacterial infection, allergy, among others. It occurs more frequently in children. It is highly contagious, and hardly it affects the vision once you treat it. It is important to adopt ways to prevent conjunctivitis from spreading, as your doctor says. Usually, pink eye clears up with no serious complications.
Types
The different types of conjunctivitis include:
- Irritant or allergic conjunctivitis: An allergen such as pollen or irritant such as chlorine may come in contact with the eye cause inflammation and irritation.
- Infective conjunctivitis: Bacteria or a virus may also cause inflammation, and in response to this, a person may get conjunctivitis.
- Acute or chronic: In acute conjunctivitis, the symptoms last for a few weeks only. Chronic conjunctivitis lasts for more than four weeks.
Causes
For conjunctivitis, several things could be put to blame. Examples:
- Viruses, including the one that triggers common cold
- Bacteria
- Fungi, amoebas, and parasites
- Reaction to eyedrops
- Irritants such as shampoos, dirt, smoke, and smog
- A reaction to eyedrops
- It could be due to allergies caused by contact lenses to some people.
Rarely, Conjunctivitis occurs from a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, can cause bacterial conjunctivitis, which is dangerous. If left untreated, it can lead to vision loss.
Chlamydia is another STI that causes conjunctivitis in adults.
If you have any of these STDs, or bacteria, perhaps, your chances of transmitting those bacteria through the birth canal increase.
When to see a doctor
Conjunctivitis can cause you serious issues such as redness, eye pain, a feeling that there is an irritant in your eyes, which is called foreign body sensation, blurred vision, and light sensitivity. If you have these signs, it is important to get medical help right now.
If contact lenses are causing you trouble, you should stop wearing them as soon as you experience these signs. If the signs do not get better within 24 hours, make an appointment with your ENT specialist.
Complications
In both children and adults, pink eye causes inflammation in the cornea that can nearly affect your vision.
Prevention
You can prevent the spread of pink eye by practicing good hygiene such as:
- Not using hands on the eyes.
- Washing hands often.
- Using a clean towel every day.
- Not sharing towels or washcloths with anyone.
- Changing pillow covers now and then.
- Not using cosmetic products much, such as mascara. And not sharing them either.
You can return to normal life within two or three days if you practice good hygiene habits and take medications as prescribed by your doctor.
Conjunctivitis in Newborn
Newborns are susceptible to bacteria present in the mother. These bacteria cause no problem in the mother but rarely may affect the child with a serious form of conjunctivitis known as ophthalmia neonatorum. Ophthalmia neonatorum demands immediate medical intervention to avoid loss of sight in adulthood.It is common that after a baby is born, an antibiotic ointment is applied to prevent eye infection.
Diagnosis
Rarely, your doctor may want to take a sample of the fluid that drains your eye for examination. If you have a serious cause, such as a foreign substance in your eyes, bacterial infection, or sexually transmitted disease, the doctor may do additional testing before confirming anything.
Ayurvedic treatment for conjunctivitis
According to Ayurveda, vitiation in the doshas is the prime cause a person gets diseased. Conjunctivitis is one such disease caused by the impairment in Pitta and Kapha doshas. The eye is represented by the fire element Pitta, but when Kapha starts to build up in the eye, it affects the fire element and causes problems such as fluid draining. The signs that commonly come along include redness, yellow discharge, and inflammation, Instead of taking allopathic medications, ayurvedic herbal treatment should be your choice of treatment to bring down the vitiated Pitta and Kapha energies.